Centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and the like



C. SCHMITZ June 24, 1930.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR CLARIEYING LIQUIDS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A o 3 6 4 s w 4 w u J 2 a fl 7 \m 3 2 2 1 9 2 w 9 4 Patented June 24, 1930' v untrue sraras PATENT OFFICE- CARL SCBIMITZ, F GELDE, GERMANY CENTRIFUGAL MACHIN E FOR CLARIFYING LIQUIDS AND THE LIKE Application filed November 20, 1928, Serial No. 320,624, and. in Germany November 22, 1927,

The invention relates to a closed centrifwhen lodging the sieves and filters in a closed ugal drum for clarification of liquids and separate annular chamber, there is the furfor similar purposes and especially for a ther favourable result that the conditions closed centrifugal drum provided with preof flowing in the preliminary clearing spaces liminary separating chambers and with fineare not unfavorably influenced by an ir- 55 clearing sieves and filters, and it is intended regular passage of liquid through the sieves. to improve the arrangement and the func- By placing the sieves and filters in a sepation of the sieves and filters in such a cenrate closed annular chamber situated be trifugal drum so as to avoid the obstruction tween inner and outer preliminary clearing 1 of the sieves and filters and to obtain a very spaces, there is the further advantage that 60 efiicacious utilization of the centrifugal acthis annular chamber can be provided withtion and the finest possible clarification. Acout constructional difiiculties with means cording to the invention this problem is recausing the liquid to pass through the sieves solved by that, on the one hand, all the and the filters from the inside to the outclarifying spaces of the drum,'inclusively side and also from the outside to the inside, 65 the clearing space comprising the sieves and whereby the filters and sieves are automatifil ters, are formed as closed concentric cham cally cleared of the heavy as well as of the bers being in communication with one anlight particles. When conducting the liquid other at the lower or upper end and that, only from the inside to the outside through on the other hand, the space containing the the filters and sieves, this automatical cleans- 70 sieves in concentric arrangement is inserted ing of the filters and sieves will take place in the form of a middle annular chamber vonly as regards the particles being specifibetween the inner and the outer preliminary cally lighter than the liquid as for instance clearing spaces. fat and wax particles which when conglom- In this way an efficacious and intensive erated sufiiciently will overcome the pres- 75 preliminary clearing action is obtained by sure of the liquid current, and swim away separating the coarsest particles in the inner from the filters, whilst the heavier particles clearing chamber and the particles of middle are held on the filters by the action of the heaviness in the outer 1 clearing chamber so centrifugal force so as to obstruct the filters.

that only the finest particles must be sepa- On the other hand in the case of conducting 30 rated by means of the sieves and filters the liquid from the outside through the filwhich, therefore, are securely protected ters and sieves, only the heavier particles, against obstruction and clogging. At the when sufficiently conglomerated, will be resame time the sieves and filters are arranged moved from the filters by the centrifugal in a zone of the drum which is practically force, but the lighter particles are retained 85 not useful for clarifying because there exists on the filters by the pressure of the liquid only a middle'centrifugal force. Furthercurrent acting in this case in opposition to more by arranging the sieves and filters in the centrifugal force, and will obstruct the this middle zone, also a favourable utilizafilters.

40 tion of the inner space of the drum is real- However, owing to the various composi- 90 ized and, furthermore, the sieves and filters tions of the liquids to be clarified, heavier are enabled to be united to a closed separate as well as lighter particles must be sepabody which can be easily inserted into the rated from about all these liquids and to this drum and withdrawn therefrom. Another end two centrifugal drums have been hitheradvantage consists in that by placing the to employed, the one having filters and sieves 05 sieves and-filters in the zone of middle centraversed by the liquid in the direction of trifugal force, a too high pressure on the the centrifugal force and the other having sieves and filters and the danger of an unfilters and sieves traversed in the opposite desirable passage of impurities through the direction -by-t-he hquid. According to the sieves are avoided with security. Finally, invention these two opposite directions of the passage of the liquid through the filters and sieves are obtained both in a single centrifugal drum by that in the annular chamforms of embodiment of the principles of the invention. Figure 1 represents in a vertical sectlon a centrifugal drum having sieves and filters arranged 1n an intermediate annular closed chamber situated between an inner and an outer preliminary clearing space, whilst Figure 2 shows, also in a: vertical section, a centrifugal drum in which a middle annular chamber containing filters and sieves and arranged between an outer and an inner preliminary clearing chamber is subdivided by a partition wall guiding the liquid to be clarified in two opposite radial directions through the intermediate annular chamber.

As appears from Figure 1 the centrifugal drum comprises the drum casing 14 and the cover 15 with a screw-threaded ring 16 con necting the two parts 14, 15 with the intermediate of a tightening or packing member 30. The operation of the drum is effected by means ofa vertical shaft 17 which is suitably journalled and connected to a driving source, motor or the like. The interior of the centrifugal drum is subdivided by means of two partition walls 18 and 19 concentric to the shaft 17, into three spaces 1, 2, 3 forming closed cylindrical chambers communicating with one another only at their lower ends through the channels 20 and 9 respectively. The inner chamber 1 is connected at its upper end to the inlet pipe 21 and contains a displacement body 23 co-' axial to the shaft 17. The partition wall 19 which extends from the cover 15 works as displacement bod in the outer chamber 2. The middle annu ar chamber 3 contains the filtering body 10 which comprises two concentric eylindrical sieves 4 and 5 carrying at their inner surfaces cloth filters 6 and 26 respectively. The cover 15 closes only theouter annular chamber 2, whilst the middle annular chamber 3 is closed by a separate cover 7 which is lodged in the drum cover partition wall 18 and the sieve 4. i The space I the liquid is effected, the coarse solid par-' ticles separated therefrom being collected on the inner surface of'the partition wall 18. Then, the liquid flows through the channels 20 into the outer chamber 2 where a second preliminary clarification takes place which is very intensive and eflicacious owing to the highest centrifugal force being operative in the chamber 2. The particles separated from the liquid .by this second preliminary clarification are deposited on the inner surface of the drum 14. Thereupon the liquid passes through the channels 9 into the middle annular chamber 3 in which it traverses the sieves 4, 5 and filters 6, 26 from the inside to the outside whereby it is liberated from the finest impurities so that it leaves the outlet 22 in a perfectly clarified state. The liquid being dammed up into the space 11 provokes by its centrifugal pressure an equalizing action counteracting to an irregular admission or flowing of liquid.

The centrifugal drum shown in Figure 2 is distinguished from the embodiment of. the invention according to Figure 1 by that the middle annular chamber situated between the preliminary clearing spaces 1 and 2 is subdivided by means of a cylindrical intermediate wall 24 in two concentric annular spaces 27 and 28 which contain the sieves 4 and 5 with the filters 6 and 20 respectively.-

The inner annular space 27 is connected at its lower end to the outer chamber 2 bymeans of the channels 9 and at its upper end to the outer annular space 28 by means of the channels 25, whilst the outer annular space is in communication with the outlet 22 through the sieve 5. The ring 29 which may contain the channels 25 tightens the spaces 27, 28 at their upper ends. As the arrows indicated in Figure 2 show, the liquid is conducted by the intermediate guiding wall 24 in such a way that it traverses the sieve 4 and the filter 6 from the outside to the inside and then the sieve 5 and the filter 26 from the inside to the outside whereby an automatical clearing of the filters from the heavier as well as from the lighter particles is simultaneously obtained.

The outer annular space 28 of the middle chamber may 0 en, if desired, directly to the outlet 22, the sieve 5 and the filter 26 being omitted in this case. Furthermore the guidmg wall 24 may replace the outer sieve 5 so that the annular space 27 includes also the annular space 28. In many cases it may be advantageous to exchange the inner filtering sieve for a narrower sieve, Instead'of conducting as in Figure 2 the liquid first from the outside to the inside and then from the inside to the outside through the chamber containing the sieves and filters, the liquid can be guided also in the reverse Way so as to traverse this chamber first in the direction of thecentrifugal force and then in the opposite direction These two currents flowing in opposite directions may be branched off from the outer preliminary chamber 2 either in series or in parallel. Instead of a single'intermediate guiding Wall 24, two or more conducting and separating walls may be provided in the middle, annular filtering chamber which is then subdivided in three or more concentric compartments. Finally, instead of two sieves 4, 5 also a higher number of sieves and filters may be arranged in the middle annular chamber of the drum and more than two preliminary clearing chambers may be contained in the drum. Still further changes and modificationsm'ay be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts and details of the invention without deviating from the spirit thereof, except as stated in the claims hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and the like, in combination a centrifugal drum, admission and eduction means on said drum, concentric partition walls in said drum dividing its interior in at least one inner and at least one outer closed chamber, these chambers communicating at their one end with one another in series connection, means for producing a preliminary,

means in this middle chamber and means for conducting the liquid to be treated first through the inner and outer clearing chambers. and then through the middle filtering chamber to the eduction means.

2. In a centrifu al machine for clarifying liquids and the li e, in combination a centrifugal drum, a cover for said drum, admission and eduction means on said drum, concentric partition walls in said drum dividing its interior in at least one inner and at least one outer closed chamber, these chambers communicating at their one end with one another in series connection, means for producing a preliminary clearing in these chambers a middle annular chamber situated be-. tween the inner and outer clearing chambers and communicating at its lower end with the outer clearing chamber and open at its upper end, a cover closing the upper end of sad middle chamber and being independent of the drum cover, filtering means in Sfild middle bers and then through the middle filtering chamber to the eduction means.

3. In a centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and the like, in combination a centrifugal drum, a cover for said drum, admission and eduction means on said drum, concentric partition walls in said drum dividing its interior in at least one inner and at least one outer closed chamber, these chambers communicating at their one end with one another in series connection, means for producing a preliminary clearing in these chambers, a middle annular chamber situated between the inner and outer clearing chambers and communicating at its lower end with theouter clearing chamber and open at its upper end, a cover closing the upper end of said middle chamber and being independent of the drum cover and prolongated up to the admission means of the drum, filtering means in the middle chamber, means for pressin the cover of the filtering chamber on the ltering means so as to tighten their ends and means for conducting the liquid to be treated first through the inner and outer clearing -chambers and then through the middle filtering chamber to the eduction means.

4. In a centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and similar purposes, in combination a centrifugal drum, admission and eduction means on said drum, partition walls in said drum dividing its interior in concentric closed chambers communicating with one another, means for producing a preliminary clearing in at least one of said chambers, filtering means in at least one of said-chambers, means for subjecting the liquid to be treated first to the action of said preliminary clearing means and then of said filtering means, and means for conducting the liquid through the v filtering means in opposite directions.

5. In a centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and the like in combination a centrifugal drum, a driving shaft, an admission pipe on said drum, an outlet orifice on said drum, concentric partition walls on said drum subdividing its interior in several concentric chambers, sieves and filters in one of said chambers, means for producing a preliminary clarifying in the other chambers, means for conducting the liquid to be treated first through the preliminary clearing chambers and then to the filtering chamber, an intermediate wall in said filtering chamber subdividing its interior so as to conduct the liquid in the one and then in the opposite radial direction through said filtering chamber;

6. Ina centrifugal machine for clarifying liquids and the like,.in combination a centrifugal drum, a detachable cover for said drum, a driving shaft connected said drum,-

an admission pipe and an outlet orifice on said drum,- concentric partition walls on said drum dividing its interior in several chambers concentric to said driving shaft, sieves and filters in one of said chambers, means for preliminary clearing in the other chambers, means for connecting the filtering chamber in series with the preliminary clearing chambers, an intermediate wall insaid filtering chamber subdividing its interior in two compartments each containing at least one sieve and filter,

meansfor connecting said two compartments with one another and with the preliminary clearing chambers so that the liquid is conducted first through the inner compartment from the outside to the inside and then through the other compartment in the opposite direction and to the outlet of the drum.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CARL SCHMITZ. 

